Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles ~ #CreativeCookieExchange

What does summer mean to you?  For me it has always meant time at the beach, and even more so now since I live on an island.  It also means easy dinners and cookies that are easy to make and easy to eat.

The theme for this month's #CreativeCookieExchange is Beach House Cookies.  This could mean no-bake cookies that you make on vacation, a cookie dough that you bring with you, or - if you are like me - cookies that you make in the kitchen of the place you rented because it had a full oven ☺️ .

I decided that sand dollars would be a fitting cookie to make considering the beach theme, and added the snickerdoodle idea because one of my daughter's loves snickerdoodles. Since sand dollars have little nicks around the sides, I wanted the cookies to mimic this. To achieve it I cut circles from the dough, and once I had added the almonds and cinnamon sugar I used a skewer to gently push in on the dough - they kind of look like a flower. As you can see from the photo I pushed in between the two points of the almonds. Of course you could leave them round if you did not want to go to the extra trouble - they taste exactly the same both ways. Make sure that you do not brush too much of the egg white on the cookies, or the cinnamon sugar will turn into a syrup. These photos were taken before I sprinkled more cinnamon sugar on them, but I definitely could have been a little more light-handed. I used a cinnamon sugar that I keep on hand for raisin bread or cinnamon toast, and it worked just fine. However, if you want a slightly darker look to your cookie you could definitely add a little more cinnamon to your sugar.

These cookies manage to achieve a slightly crunchy exterior and a soft, pillowy interior and were a big hit at my house. Also, the recipe makes 60 cookies, so there were more than enough for me to bundle them up and share.  Your favorite flavor of ice cream sandwiched between two of these cookies would be a very good idea too. The cookies store for up to 5 days if you keep them in an airtight container, but I doubt that you will have them around for that long.

If you would like to know more about #CreativeCookieExchange and see what the other bakers made for the Meringue Cookies theme please scroll down below the recipe. Thanks to Laura from The Spiced Life, who is our host & fearless leader.

Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients

• 226g (1 cup) butter, softened
• 226g (2 cups) powdered sugar
• 2 eggs whole
• 2 eggs, separated
• 10ml (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
• 5g (1 teaspoon) salt
• 5g (1 teaspoon) Penzeys Cake Spice (optional)
• 525g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2.5g (1/2 teaspoon) baking powder
• cinnamon sugar, reserved
• sliced almonds, for decoration

Preparation

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater blade, add the butter and powdered sugar, and beat until very creamy, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the 2 whole eggs and 2 yolks to the butter and sugar mixture, and beat until combined.
3. Add vanilla and salt, and beat until combined.
4. Add flour, baking powder, and cake spice, stirring until combined and the dough is soft.
5. Remove from the bowl, cut in half, and form two disks with the dough.
6. Wrap both disks in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least three hours (preferably overnight).
7. Preheat the oven to 180℃ (350°F).
8. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
9. Roll out the dough to 0.5cm (¼ inch) thick on a floured surface and cut out 6cm (2½ inch) circles and place on the prepared baking sheets.
10. Lightly brush the circles with the reserved egg whites.
11. Sprinkle each circle lightly with cinnamon sugar and press 5 almond slices into the center of each circle to make a sand dollar.
12. Using a wooden skewer at the edge of the cookie, position it between the points of two almonds, and gently push in to shape the cookie (see photo above)
13. Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar over the cookies, especially the edges.
14. Bake until the edges are golden brown, approximately 10 minutes.
15. Remove from oven, and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Mama Miss

Summer means long lazy days, vacations, and if you are lucky, somewhere relaxing where you can put your feet up and and tune out for a while. Cookies can be the perfect snack any time of the day - yes, cookies for breakfast are a thing. Whether you bake up a quick batch whilst on vacation or decide to bring the dough with you ready-made, we’ve got a great list for you to choose from!

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links.

Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made ~

• Sand Dollar Snickerdoodles by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Chocolate Coconut Oysters with Pineapple Buttercream by Cream and Butter Blog 
• Starfish Cookies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Gluten Free Chewy Chocolate Chippers by What Smells So Good?
• Seagull Cookies by A Baker's House
• Dulce de Leche Blondies by The Spiced Life
• Slice & Bake Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies by 2 Cookin Mamas